Serendipitous

30.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." — Juliet Capulet

The breeze from the rushing water hit my face as I dive in, the cool water washing my body and my hair. My back floats above the water as I close my eyes and take in the feeling of floating in the silence aside from the stream in this part of the cave where everyone washes. It would be so easy to just stay under the water, just to stay in the quiet of the dark and float. Peaceful. Easy. As soon as I dry off with the towel I get dressed and go back to the main part of the cave where everyone is either picking vegetables or harvesting wheat for the bread to be baked. My eyes can the room of people all doing something, all trying to make a life again and to keep whatever this is built strong. Shane would really love it here, I know he would, it would be everything for the both of us.
"Molly, why won't you go help your brother wash off the tomatoes" My dad suggests. I look over at him before turning to walk away with Carl and the straw basket of tomatoes. We begin walking down the hallway to reach the constant stream of water I had just been in.

"Where do you think all that water leads to?" He asks, we keep walking.

"I'm not sure" I responded, "Maybe a lake somewhere out of here"

"But this is a cave and outside of here is just the desert, there isn't any water source for miles" He continues, "I've checked" A laugh comes from me.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, kind of, mom and dad won't let me go very far but I've checked" He tells me, I nod. Once we reach the stream of water we carefully begin washing the vegetables off carefully so they don't slip out of our hands and run down the stream into the darkness of the unknown. "Can I ask you something?" Carl looks over at me.

"What's up?" I respond, he looks down and hesitates for a moment.

"Do you still think Shane is alive?" His sudden question takes me by surprise but I keep my poker face on.

"Yes, I do" I answer him softly.

"So do I" He continues washing tomatoes. I look over at him.

"You do?"

"I know mom and dad don't think he is, I heard them talking about it. But Shane wouldn't leave us, he loves us too much" He smiles, I look away from him and try to ignore the burning in my eyes as well as the pain in my chest. "Don't listen to everyone else, Shane's gonna come back"

"Thanks, Carl" I manage out.

"And I think mom was wrong" He continues, "She shouldn't have gave you those pills. I told her it was bull shi—"

"Carl!" I exclaim, trying to hide my smile of shock at his language.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay, just, don't say words like that" I remind him, he nods understandingly as we finish washing up the tomatoes. Dinner isn't loud, everyone seems to be quietly talking to one another while I stare down at my plate of food. My appetite has decreased since the farm, since I everything. My dad clears his throat while I look up at him.

"You know, you don't need to go on hunger strike" He says teasingly, his smile is loving. I return a weak smile before breaking our eye contact. "Eat something, please?" His voice is quiet so others won't hear but I'm well aware a lot of people in the cave watch me around meal times, they all glance at my low packed plate. I pick up a celery stick and take a bite out of it, chewing slowly before swallowing he food.

"There, I ate" I tell him half playing, he smiles and shakes his head. I know he isn't going to let it go, I know he's worried. My mom has tried to encourage me to eat, she's tried to talk to me but I pretend I don't hear her voice. She's gradually giving up, maybe I am being cruel to her but I'd say what she did was pretty cruel in itself. When I finally finish my plate of two celery sticks, seasoned tomatoes, and a piece of dried deer meat I wash my plate in the clean stream before returning it to the kitchen and making my way back down the hallway to go to my room.